Spray head for fire sprinkler systems



Jan. 10, 1950 F. J. LEE 2,493,982

SPRAY HEAD FOR FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Filed March 26, 1948 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVEN FLOYD \J. L

14 ORNEYS,

Jan. 10, 1950 F. J. LEE

SPRAY HEAD FOR FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS 2 sheets sheec 2 Filed March 26 1948 m\ H p 7 HHHW 5/ fl O Q Q O O M/% O O k. a

JNVENTOR. FLOYD J. LEE.

FA? Km AT Patented Jan. 10, 1950 SPRAY HEAD FOR FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Floyd J. Lee, Fullerton, Calif., assignor to. Akron Brass Mfg. Company, Inc., Wooster, Ohio, a.

corporation of Ohio Application March 26, 1948, Serial No. 17,202 2 Claims. (01. 169-37) This invention relates broadly to. sprinkler systems for protection against fire hazard and, more specifically, to improvements in spray heads employed therein.

Heretofore it has been customary to install the water lines in such systems in spaced relation with the ceiling or walls of the area to be protected and to mount the sprinkler heads thereon, or in free unobstructed relation with adjacent bodies. an aesthetic standpoint in environs in which attention has been given the artistic treatment of the room. The construction is further objectionable due to the possibility of injury to the spray heads resulting from the careless use of paint or refurbishing materials during renovating operations. The exposed pipe installations are subject to an additional hazard of. injury when the room having such equipment therein is used for storage or similar purposes where foreign bodies are apt to be brought into percussive engagement therewith.

The present invention avoids the foregoing objections through the provision of a spray head which is normally concealed within a housing in- Such, construction is objectionable from I stalled with the end thereof in flush relation with to produce an extremely fine mist or fogand to. safeguard the delivery ducts therein by a screen.

adapted to arrest such foreign matter as may be borne by the stream without undue diminution of pressure.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a structure which may be readily assembled or dismantled in place in order to accommodate inspection or renewal of parts or repairs.

Further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a sprinkler head which is durable, economic of manufacture, eflicient of operation, and susceptible of installation with ease and dispatch.

Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing, and the manner in which all the various objects are realized, will appear in the following description,. which, con-.

sidered in connection with. the accompanying drawings, sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical. sectional view of the improved spray head. shown in its retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view showing the nozzle piston assembly in its operative position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the sprinkler head, the section being. takenona plane indicated by the line 33, in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an axial section of a modifiedv form;

Fig.5 is a similar sectional view of the sprinkler head illustrated in Fig. 4, the nozzle. piston assembly being shown in its distended or operative position; and,

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the nozzle, the

section. being taken on a plane indicated by the line 66 in Fig. 5.

Referring first to Fig. 2, the improved spray head comprises a cup or housing. In formed with.

a tapped opening II. in the inner end thereof for the receptionof. a water delivery line l2 constituting a portion. of the sprinkler systempiping. The. pipe [2 and associated lines or branches of the system are embedded in the wall. l3 of the building structure, the cup HI- being attached thereto when the plumbing is struck in, and set-with the mouth or free end l5 thereof flush withthe wall or ceiling indicated generally by the line [6. The inner wall. of the cup is formed with diametrically opposed ribs l1. constituting guide. rails for a plunger or piston. 18. whichis machined for free. sliding. movementv within the cup and is formed with grooves. IS in the outer wall thereof for engagement with the ribs H. The open end of the. cup is bored and threaded for the reception of a ring 20 which. is provided to delimit the. outward movement of the. piston l8. The ring may. be drilled or machined with grooves 2|. in the outer face thereof to accommodate the blade of a 3 seating. tool or pin wrench. The marginal. edge of the cup is counterbored to. receive a closure disk The sprinkler head is designed for use in a sys- 1 tom of the type in which the flowof water is controlled from a valve designed for manual operation or from one or more automatic valves of the type that are actuated through the disinte ration of thermal or electric-responsive elements. Thus. when water is admitted to the line. the pressure thereof will urge the piston outwardly with sufficient force to expel the' disk from the cup and effect the distention of theynozzle beyond the contiguous wall or ceiling.

The modified structure illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 is similar in form to that heretofore described. save that the cup or housing is provided withv an inner cylindrical portion 50 for the reception of the piston and anouter cup section 52 to house the spray nozzle'54. The inner endof the cup section is shouldered to provide a ledge 55 for the. support of a stop ring 56 which is secured thereon by capv screws 51. The piston is formed with a flange .58 on the inner end thereof which is machined for silding engagement within the cylinder 50 and designed to abut the ring 56 when the piston is moved to its distended position. The side Wall of the piston is formed with diametrically opposed keyways 59 therein for the reception of ears 5E! provided in the ring 56. The nozzle illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is'of somewhat diiferent configuration than that shown in Fig. 1, but embodies the same principle and is designed for operation in a similar manner. As in the former case, the plumbing and cup 0 are embedded in the buildi'ng'structure, the outer end of the cup being disposed .in flush relation with the wall or ceiling. The outer section 52 of the cup is provided with a kockout disk BI and V the operation of the modifiedembodiment of the sprinkler head is the same as heretofore described. V

'It will be understood that the improved spray head may be used in a difi'erent manner and in other environs than, those described above; for

example, the housing may protrude froma wall or ceiling in a textile mill or similar plant where the nozzle is subject to lint, fumes, or other air borne materials that tend to load or corrode the discharge opening in the spray head. Moreover, if 'desired, the spray head may be mounted ina recess, or in the floor, in which case a knockout plate may be used which is capable of supporting the traffic loads imposed thereon.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a. detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim:

1. For use in fire sprinkler systems of the type having branch conduits leading from a single water valve, a spray head arranged for open connection to a branch conduit comprising a cup having an unvalved water inlet port, a piston slidable in said cup, an opening extending axially through said piston, a spray nozzle mounted on said piston and in communication with said opening, shoulder means within said cup to engage and retain the piston in the cup, and closure 'means for the mouth ofsaid cup comprising a relatively flat disc-like member, the periphery of said disc-like member engaging the mouth of said cup with a press friction fit, said friction fit being firm enough to support the weight of. said piston and nozzle with the cup inverted, but free enough to be dislodged by Water pressure behind the piston.

2. For use in fire sprinkler systems of the type having branch conduits leading from a single thermo-sensitive water valve, a spray head arranged for open connection to a branch conduit comprising a cup having an unvalved water inlet I port, a piston slidable in said cup, an opening extending axially through said piston, a spray nozzle mounted on said piston and in communication with said opening, shoulder means within said cup to engage and retain the piston in the cup, and closure means for the mouth of said cup comprising a relatively flat disc-like member,

the peripheral edge of said disc-like member engaging the radially inner wall of the mouth of said cup with a press friction fit, said friction fitv being firm enough to support the weight of said piston and nozzle with the cup inverted, but free enough to be dislodged by Water pressure be- I hind the piston, said disc-like member being flush with the rim of said cup whereby said cup may be embedded in a supporting structure up to the rim thereof with said disc-like member flush with the surface of the supporting structure.

FLOYD J. LEE.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 27, 1919 

